(Lisbon, Portugal, 11-15 June 1951)
Pages: 55 to 55
Creation Date: 1951/01/01
(Lisbon, Portugal, 11-15 June 1951)
One item on the agenda of the International Criminal Police Commission, which met in Lisbon from 11 to 15 June 1951, was the question of narcotics. The United Nations Secretary-General was represented at this meeting by Dr. Lande, a member of the Division of Narcotic Drugs. At the plenary meeting of 13 June, Dr. Lande conveyed the greetings of the Secretary-General to the International Criminal Police Commission and stressed the interest taken by him in the work of the Commission. Dr. Lande also communicated the resolution adopted by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its sixth session, requesting the Secretary-General to thank the International Criminal Police Commission for the report it had prepared, and gave a summary of the debates of that session relating to the work of the ICPC. Dr. Lande took part in the meeting of the Sub-Committee on Narcotics, during which he pointed out the need for the action of the ICPC to be co-ordinated with the work of the United Nations in order to avoid overlapping. He also explained some aspects of the work undertaken towards the drafting of the Single Convention on Narcotics, and defined the scope of certain articles in this draft.
The General Assembly adopted a report on the narcotics question which points out, in the conclusions, that the action undertaken by the ICPC stimulated the activity of the repressive services of Member States and consequently more documentation was sent at shorter intervals to the ICPC. Nevertheless many national central bureaux did not reply to the circular letter from the International Bureau inviting them to supply documentation on the cases of international traffic reported during 1949 and the first half of 1950, and this gap was an added difficulty in the task of repression.
Moreover, numerous particulars are not communicated. Yet it is of the greatest interest to know the means of transport used and the routes taken by the traffickers. Those particulars make it possible for the countries concerned to be notified immediately in order that a special watch may be set up; once the currents are determined, control can operate more effectively.
Among other things, it is important in the questioning of traffickers to get from them indications as to the origin of the drug, so that sources of supply can be traced and eventually stopped. It is therefore particularly recommended that the national central bureaux should transmit forms as complete as possible and regularly to the International Bureau on cases of illicit traffic. Finally it is also strongly recommended that, as done already by some bureaux, reports on the tendencies and analytical surveys of the traffic be sent to the International Bureau.
The resolution adopted by the General Assembly is as follows:
"The International Criminal Police Commission,
"After-taking cognizance of the report submitted by Mr. Marabuto concerning the activity of the International Bureau and the National Central Bureaux in the struggle against the illicit traffic in drugs,
"Notes with satisfaction that a considerable effort has been made in view of accentuating repression in this field,
"And knowing the importance of the question, invites the Member States to intensify as much as possible the sending to the International Bureau of the documentation specified in the forms ad hoc, adding, if need be, to these documents such observations as seem called for on the analytical survey of the illicit traffic.
"The I.C.P.C. recommends that the Member States, faced with the recrudescence of the international traffic of drugs, urge their Governments to have repression intensified with regard to traffickers."